Studies on Tobacco Alkaloids. II. The Formation of Nicotine and Nornicotine in Tobacco Supplied with N15.

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Abstract
Studies were conducted using grafted plants composed of Nicotiana tabacum var. Robinson Medium Broadleaf, a tobacco variety known to contain relatively large proportions of nornicotine, and Lycopersicum esculentum var. Rutgers. Detached leaf culture of tobacco also was used and Nl5 was supplied as nitrate in nutrient culture to the plants at times selected to trace the biosynthesis of alkaloids; these were separated by paper chromatog-raphy and countercurrent extraction and the amount of excess N15 in each was measured. Significant proportions of excess N15 were found in alkaloids in tobacco scions grown on tomato stocks, indicating that grafted plants of these strains could synthesize alkaloids. In the reverse graft, the N15 excess in nornicotine isolated from tobacco roots and tomato tops was greater than in the nicotine from the same material, indicating nornicotine synthesis was not through nicotine.